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Bill Guckeyson
John William "Bill" Guckeyson ( ; date of birth unknown – May 21, 1944) was an American athlete and military aviator. He was the first University of Maryland football player selected in the NFL Draft. Guckeyson was killed in combat as a fighter pilot during the Second World War. Early life and college career Guckeyson was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1933. While there, he played basketball, soccer, and competed in track & field. In 1932, at the Maryland state track meet, he set the state shot put record at 50 feet (15 meters), which stood for 28 years. There, it is reported that Guckeyson also won the 100-yard dash event with a recorded time of 10.2 seconds. He was the captain of the basketball team for two years and the varsity soccer team for three years. Despite his high school not having a football team at the time, Guckeyson was awarded a football scholarship to attend Maryland based upon his soccer-playing ability.A Social History of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School 1925–1980, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, retrieved 22 December 2008. He attended college at the University of Maryland where he played football, basketball, and baseball, and ran track. In these athletic fields, Guckeyson compiled nine letters during his four years at Maryland. He set the school javelin throw record at 204 ft, 5 in (62.22 meters). In both 1935 and 1936, he was named an All-Southern Conference football player and an honorable-mention All-American.Traditions, University of Maryland Terrapins Official Athletic Site, retrieved 22 December 2008.All-Time Honors (PDF), 2007 Football Media Guide, p. 161, University of Maryland Terrapins, 2007, retrieved 22 December 2008. Frank Dobson—who coached football for forty years at Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, Richmond, and Maryland—said Guckeyson was the best athlete he had known.David Ungrady, [http://books.google.com/books?id=kty1Jvi1j0IC Tales from the Maryland Terrapins], p. 58, Sports Publishing LLC, 2003, ISBN 1-58261-688-4. During his senior year, Guckeyson was elected class president. Military career Upon graduation from Maryland, Guckeyson was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 1937 NFL Draft, making him the first Maryland player ever selected.Terps in the Pros (PDF), 2000 Maryland Football Media Guide, University of Maryland Terrapins official website, 2000, retrieved 22 December 2008. However, he turned down offers to play professional sports, and instead accepted a nomination to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. While there, Guckeyson was no longer eligible to play football, but was named a first-team All-American in soccer in 1941.Award Winners (PDF), 2002 NCAA Soccer Records Book, p. 69, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2002, retrieved 22 December 2008. Once again, he was elected as class president. Guckeyson graduated from West Point in 1942 and received a commission as an officer in the United States Army. He again turned down offers for a professional sports career when the former Washington Senators manager, Clark Griffith, and pitcher, Walter Johnson, asked him to join the major league. He attended flight school and was certified as a fighter pilot in the United States Army Air Forces before being deployed overseas in December 1942. As a fighter pilot, Guckeyson earned a Purple Heart, three Air Medals, and two Distinguished Flying Crosses—the fourth-highest award for combat valor in flight. While serving in the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, Guckeyson flew a P-47 Thunderbolt ("Contrary Mary") and, after his unit transitioned to the newer airframe, a P-51 Mustang (serial: 42-103349) fighter aircraft. He was credited with at least 2.5 enemy aircraft kills in aerial combat: two Me-109 fighters and a Ju-188 night fighter, which was destroyed with the assistance of another pilot.Encounter Report (I), WWII Aircraft Performance, retrieved 24 December 2008.Encounter Report (II), WWII Aircraft Performance, retrieved 24 December 2008.Encounter Report (III), WWII Aircraft Performance, retrieved 24 December 2008. Guckeyson was reportedly killed on a strafing run on 21 May 1944 when his P-51 Mustang fighter was shot down.Guckeyson/Walther Enlargement Page, 361st Fighter Group, retrieved 24 December 2008. At the time of his death, he had attained the rank of captain, and his remains were interred in France.Roll of Honour, 361st Fighter Group, retrieved 24 December 2008. His remains are interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold, France.Capt John W Guckeyson, Find A Grave, retrieved July 18, 2010. In 1955, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School named its athletic playing field Guckeyson Memorial Stadium in his honor. He was inducted into the Touchdown Club Hall of Fame,Hall of Fame, Touchdown Club Charities, retrieved 16 January 2009. and in 1982, the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame: All-Time Inductees, University of Maryland, retrieved June 12, 2009. References Category:Year of birth missing Category:Maryland Terrapins football players Category:Maryland Terrapins men's basketball players Category:Maryland Terrapins baseball players Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal Category:American aviators Category:Aviators from Maryland Category:People from Montgomery County, Maryland Category:United States Military Academy alumni Category:Players of American football from Maryland Category:United States Army Air Forces officers Category:1944 deaths Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Category:Recipients of the Air Medal